Read this before using anything on this site.
The short version: this site is educational information, not legal advice, and using it does not make us your lawyer.
No legal advice. Everything published on goodsamaritanlegalaid.org is general legal information for public education. It is not legal advice for your specific situation. Law is fact-specific, jurisdiction-specific, and changes over time. General information about how the law usually works cannot substitute for advice from a licensed attorney who has reviewed your specific facts.
No attorney-client relationship. Reading this site, submitting a question through the Ask form, receiving a published response to a general topic, or contacting us in any way does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and Good Samaritan Legal Aid, its attorneys, staff, or volunteers. No attorney-client privilege applies to any communications with us.
Do not send confidential information. Do not send us information you would want protected by attorney-client privilege. Nothing sent to us is confidential in the legal sense.
Who these terms are between
These terms apply to your use of goodsamaritanlegalaid.org (the "site"), operated by Good Samaritan Legal Aid, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization ("we," "us," "our"). By accessing or using the site, you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, do not use the site.
Accuracy and updates
We put real effort into legal accuracy. Content is written and reviewed by a Pennsylvania and New Jersey licensed attorney against current statutes, regulations, and case law at the time of writing. But:
- The law changes. What was accurate on the date of publication may not be accurate later.
- The law is jurisdiction-specific. Content is oriented toward Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Other states may differ in significant ways.
- The law is fact-specific. General rules have exceptions that depend on details you did not tell us about.
- Errors happen. If you find one, please let us know.
Do not rely on the site as your sole source of information for any specific legal matter you are actually dealing with. Consult a licensed attorney.
Not a substitute for a lawyer
If you have a real legal matter, especially one involving deadlines, court, money, immigration status, housing, or anything else important to your life, you should be talking to a lawyer, not reading a website. If you cannot afford a private attorney, this site includes pointers to free legal aid programs and reduced-fee options.
Ask a Question feature
The Ask feature is a request that we consider writing and publishing a general public discussion of a legal topic. It is not a request for legal advice, we do not provide legal advice through it, and we do not review your specific case. When we take a submitted question, we anonymize the underlying situation and publish an explainer that is intended to help anyone facing something similar. Publishing is at our discretion. We make no commitment to respond to any specific submission.
Third-party links and services
The site links to external resources such as court websites, statutes, and government forms. We do not control those sites and are not responsible for their content, privacy practices, or availability. Similarly, we use third-party services (FormSubmit for form processing, Google Fonts for typography, InterServer for hosting) that have their own terms and privacy practices.
Intellectual property
Content on this site is copyright Good Samaritan Legal Aid unless otherwise noted. You may share, print, quote, and reference site content for personal, educational, and noncommercial use with attribution back to the source page. Commercial reproduction, including republishing content on other for-profit legal sites, is not permitted without permission.
Statutes, regulations, court opinions, and government forms referenced on the site are not our copyright. Those are public.
Limitation of liability
The site is provided "as is." We do not warrant that content is complete, accurate, current, or suitable for any particular purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Good Samaritan Legal Aid and its attorneys, directors, employees, and volunteers are not liable for any loss, damage, or harm arising from your use of the site or reliance on its content. Nothing in these terms is intended to disclaim liability that cannot lawfully be disclaimed.
Not soliciting business
The site is not an advertisement for legal services, is not a solicitation to become a client, and is not an offer to represent anyone. Good Samaritan Legal Aid does not accept clients. If a private attorney is affiliated with the organization, that attorney's private practice is separate from this site.
Governing law
These terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Any dispute arising from your use of the site will be brought in the state or federal courts located in Pennsylvania, and you consent to that jurisdiction.
Changes to these terms
We may update these terms from time to time. Substantive changes will be announced on the News page. The "last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Your continued use of the site after changes means you accept them.
Contact
Questions about these terms: contact@goodsamaritanlegalaid.org. Not for legal questions.